"Your Majesty, the armies in the Northeast have basically completed their combat missions according to the previous plan, and have exceeded expectations. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Dukes Rong and An have made final adjustments to the military deployment in the Northeast. The Northern Expedition Army will also gradually move from land and water to Two withdrawals! Privy Cao asked for instructions, is there any other instruction?" Zhang Yong asked.
"No need! Since the plan has been set a long time ago, it is not appropriate to change it. The soldiers have also worked hard. Just withdraw when you need to!" Emperor Liu replied directly without much hesitation.
Of course, Emperor Liu also knew in his heart that Cao Bin was just asking for instructions symbolically. Regarding the withdrawal of the East Route Army, it was not only the prince's opinion, but also the wishes of the soldiers. No matter how strong the emperor was, he could not deviate from it. Everyone wants to do it alone.
Furthermore, there is no reason for that. Since returning to Liaodong, Prince Liu Yang has been in charge of garrison and troop withdrawal matters. Now, the advance battle plan has exceeded the target. How could Emperor Liu be too ambitious and greedy to change his edict and hinder it? That would be too much.
"Furthermore, King Xi has surrendered, and the Xi tribe has surrendered and taken it for his own use. General Wang is resting in Xiren's royal city, and he is writing to ask for instructions whether he should continue to march north and attack Linhuang Mansion!"
"Wang Yanchao, what's your opinion?" Emperor Liu asked while carefully flipping through the rich memorial.
Zhang Yong: "Old General Wang believes that the soldiers who went northward have been exhausted from the summer and autumn campaigns and it is inconvenient to go on another expedition. Also, the weather is getting colder, which is not conducive to fighting. The Xi tribe has just surrendered, but their tribesmen are not yet convinced, and the Xi tribe is not convinced. Stable, there are too many hidden dangers in heading north rashly. In addition, if we go north from King Xi City, if we can successfully advance the army, it will actually be five to six hundred miles away, which is a long way..."
After hearing what he said, Emperor Liu hesitated for a moment and said quietly: "If the information is true, the Linhuang Mansion right now must be called empty!"
"Returning to your majesty, based on the information previously discovered by the Second Department of Military Ethics and Military Intelligence, since the Lord of Liao led his troops south, the area around Liao Shangjing is indeed empty as before!" Zhang Yong replied affirmatively.
However, seeing Emperor Liu's readiness to move, he still didn't understand what his intentions were, and wanted to dissuade him from taking risks, but he hesitated and did not dare to say it directly.
Emperor Liu raised his head and noticed his expression. He smiled slightly, turned his head towards Liu Xi, and said, "Do you remember what I said before? If Yelvxian dares to go south and attack my empty mountain sun, I will send troops to attack other countries. Both, let’s see who is in more pain!”
"You did say it!" Hearing what Emperor Liu said, Liu Xi nodded, probably thinking about how to speak, then paused and said: "However, the actual difficulties faced by General Wang's army and the situation of the Xi clan are still important. Be considerate and considerate.
If King Xi surrenders early, even half a month in advance, there is no need to hesitate and he can send troops. But now, it’s finally winter! "
"Are you opposed to the troops going to Beijing?" Emperor Liu asked.
"To send troops at this time is another lone army that goes deep into the enemy's territory. The outcome is uncertain. You must know that the whereabouts of the Mobei expedition soldiers are still unknown!" Liu Xi said.
But as soon as he said it, Liu Xi regretted it a little. Sure enough, Emperor Liu turned his face instantly and turned to stare at Liu Xi with a very sharp gaze. Liu Xi, who was so heartbroken at the sight, could not help but tremble in his heart and lowered his head subconsciously.
The whereabouts of the soldiers in Mobei has become a worry for Emperor Liu. After staring at him for a while, Emperor Liu finally looked away and tightened the robe he was wearing. Emperor Liu pointed to the north and said in a deep voice: "Do you know what it means to the Liao Kingdom that Xi Ren surrendered to the Han Dynasty?"
"Your Majesty, please give me instructions!" Liu Xi returned to his low-key style.
Emperor Liu said directly: "For the Liao Kingdom, the Han people, the Tatars, and the Uighurs on the Bohai and grasslands are just its wings and branches. The Khitan tribe and the six tribes of the Xi people are its foundation!
Qianyu's Northern Expedition to recapture Guanshan was just to take away his luck. This Northern Expedition to recapture Liaodong and chaos in the Northeast is just to weaken his wings! However, if the Xi people surrender, they are digging into their foundations and breaking their backbone.
Don't look at it, now it's just King Xi's surrender and the Xi tribe's submission. Its impact is by no means limited to the plateau grasslands of Raole and Songshan. For the Liao Kingdom, the consequences are all-round!
Even now, from the Northeast to Shangjing, Mobei, and even the Liao Lord's Suwei army, there are many Xiren generals and subordinates serving! How would they react if they learned that the Xi people had surrendered, and how would the Khitans view them?
Also, in the decades since Yelu Abaoji established Linhuang Mansion as his capital, has Shangjing ever encountered an invasion from a foreign enemy? Even if the military flag of our Han Dynasty is erected outside Shangjing City, it will have a big shock to the Liao Kingdom and the Khitan. It will directly attack their will and dampen their confidence.
On the other side of Shanyang, even if the Liao army cannot be completely wiped out, even if the Lord of Liao escapes, I still want Yelvxian to realize how serious the cost of leading his troops south is, and to make him realize the blow that the Han Dynasty has made to the Liao Kingdom. It is no longer limited to Yanshan, Monan, or Mobei, but it can penetrate directly into his heart and make him feel pain from the bone...
Just a few hundred miles away, a few cold winters, nothing to worry about! "
It is rare to see Emperor Liu speak at such a long length, but whenever he talks incessantly, it often means that Emperor Liu is in a state of emotion and has made up his mind. It is difficult to persuade Emperor Liu in this state. It may be effective to change him to the queen, but on the one hand, the queen is not here, and on the other hand, Dafu will not open his mouth on such matters.
However, Emperor Liu did not completely ignore the attitudes and opinions of Liu Xi and Zhang Yong. Although the prospects were promising, the difficulties in achieving the goal were also realistic and needed to be overcome. They were inevitable.
After pondering for a while, Emperor Liu instructed: "Go to Wang Yanchao and ask him to select a brave and courageous general and lead an elite army to the north. I do not ask for results. I am absolute when the battle comes. I entrust you with full power and adapt to changes! As for Wang Yanchao, let him He will stay in the local area for the time being, suppress and suppress the situation, and stabilize the situation as soon as possible! Also, since King Xi has surrendered, it is his turn to show his sincerity and loyalty, and let him mobilize the best troops of the Xi tribe to surrender, guide the way, and fight with the army to prevent him from being half-hearted!"
"The edict is issued urgently and sent to Wang Yanchao's army as quickly as possible!" Emperor Liu also emphasized: "They must have rested for a while when the order arrived in the army!"
"Yes!" Zhang Yong responded.
Emperor Liu reviewed the memorial again, and some situations about Xi Ren were still in his mind. After thinking about it for a while, he gave instructions: "Draft an edict again and reply to Liu Xu. I have no objection to the conditions he and King Xi have reached. Please tell me." In Caining, I agree to keep his name as King Xi, and he will still command the tribes of the Xi tribe. I will also grant him the title of Governor of Raole! However, the tribes under his jurisdiction, after they have entered the Han Dynasty, should also abide by the Han law and the Han system. assume necessary responsibilities.
In addition, the royal city of Gengxi was changed to Dading City and a prefect was established! Tell Liu Xu that the establishment of the Xiren Prefecture Department can be started, but it should not be done too hastily. Safety should be the first priority. I still need to consider whether to implement the chieftain system in the Xiren territory...
That's all for the time being. Let Liu Xu take care of the matter of appeasing the Xi people first. Regarding the food, tea and salt they lack, he can communicate with the court and coordinate some of them for support. The rest of the affairs are awaiting orders! "
"By the way, when the situation is completely stable, let King Xi Cunning come to Youzhou to see me!" Emperor Liu added another thing.
"yes!"
"Go back!" Probably because the cold wind blew too much, Emperor Liu pinched his nose and ordered.
During the return trip, Emperor Liu seemed to have something on his mind. The issue of dealing with the aftermath of the Xi clan should indeed be put on the agenda and should be carefully thought about.
The current decision is only a temporary measure, to appease King Xi and stabilize the Xi tribe. As for the implementation of the chieftain system for Xi people, Emperor Liu was not very willing in his heart. What he wanted to do more was to completely absorb it. Even prefectures and counties appointed officials to completely integrate it into the local system of the Han Dynasty.
This is based on what the Liao Kingdom has been doing before, and it has reached a certain level. It is not far away from completely annexing the Xi people's land and tribes. However, because of the violent death of Yelujing and the Northern Expedition of the Han Dynasty, the country was forced to interrupted.
The reason why King Xi, Cunning, betrayed the Khitan at this juncture was, on the one hand, because under the influence of the Han-Liao War, the people of Xi's tribe were overwhelmed and their livelihoods became difficult and increasingly difficult to maintain.
But more importantly, it was also forced by the Liao court's previous annexation policies and actions. No one was willing to have their power restricted or even deprived.
And if you want to do the same thing, you need to do it carefully, and you need to take into account the possible backlash from the nobles headed by King Xi. Fortunately, this is not an urgent matter at the moment, so there is no need to rush it. The court will have more time to operate.
Emperor Liu had this kind of consideration, and he didn't know whether King Xi Xi Ning would regret it in the future...
